Latest news with #evangelism
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Newly elected Seventh-day Adventist Church leader reflects on challenges and faith's healthy living
Erton Köhler, a Brazil-born pastor known for his innovative approach to evangelism, is the newly elected president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference — and the first to hail from South America. Köhler will serve as the spiritual and administrative leader for the global movement, which claims 23 million members. He was voted into the position during a recent gathering of the General Conference, the denomination's top governing body, in St. Louis.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Newly-elected Seventh-day Adventist Church leader reflects on challenges and faith's healthy living
Erton Köhler, a Brazil-born pastor known for his innovative approach to evangelism, is the newly elected president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference — and the first to hail from South America. Köhler will serve as the spiritual and administrative leader for the global movement, which claims 23 million members in more than 200 countries. He was voted into the position during a recent gathering of the General Conference, the denomination's top governing body, in St. Louis. The church's sprawling geographic reach poses just one of the hurdles ahead in his duties as president, especially with today's political polarization and national allegiances, Köhler said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'If I can choose one word that represents the challenge of this moment, the word is 'unity,'' he said. 'It's not easy to keep that unity because our members, they're citizens, they're living in the local society, they're influenced by that.' The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant denomination that views the Bible as the literal word of God and the primary authority for Adventists. They are known for their beliefs that Christ's second coming is near, and that the Bible requires observing the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Just days into his new role, Köhler shared his hopes for the future, including his plans to use technology and social media to reach young people. He also reflected on how the faith's spiritual focus on healthy living resonates with many today and other issues facing the church. What is the role of the president? Köhler explained his job like holding a puzzle together and compared it to that of another recently elected church leader with South American ties, Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church's first U.S.-born pontiff who has dual Peruvian citizenship. 'I'm not the pope of the church. I'm a pastor. We don't have a leadership that's vertical, that we can decide something and impose that for everyone,' Köhler said, noting the denomination's various levels of authority. 'We respect those voices. We receive suggestions from other levels, we discuss it; we discuss how to implement it together. My role is to try to keep all this puzzle together in a positive way.' What are his priorities as the new leader? Köhler wants to see more young people involved in the church, more women involved in leadership and more investment in communication and technology to advance its mission. He also wants to focus on continuing to spread the reach of the church, which is especially growing in parts of Africa and Latin America. 'No. 1, I'd like to see more young people involved in the church activities, sometimes in leadership, sometimes sharing their opinions, their ideas, sometimes in the local community,' said Köhler. In addition to the church's emphasis on the Sabbath, Köhler also thinks Adventists' long-standing focus on healthy living can appeal to younger generations. Many church members are vegetarians and abstain from alcohol and tobacco as part of their spiritual discipline. Adventists also run a large network of hospitals and health clinics worldwide, and many church members go into the medical field. 'The new generation is looking for health, beauty. They're taking care of their bodies,' Köhler said. 'We have a message to show to them that we're not only an institutionalized religion, we're a body of believers that trust in the Bible with a message that can make our lives better.' For women in leadership, Köhler said he's not opening discussion of women's ordination, an issue that in 2015 then-Republican presidential candidate and Adventist Ben Carson said he supported. 'It's not the moment to do that,' Köhler said. But he acknowledged that Adventist women 'deserve more presence in leadership,' and 'their voice needs to be heard.' The faith was influenced by the visions of Ellen White, who is considered a prophet. Her extensive religious writings, while deeply influential in shaping the church, are not given the same weight as Scripture. Today, the denomination says women's leadership is present at high levels of the church — in health care, education and administration — and also includes community service and the leadership of women's ministries. On technology and communication, Köhler said he is a strong defender of both because he sees them as ways to reach people wherever they are. 'If our call is to ministry to the people, we need to be where they are, especially the new generations. And the new generation now are in social media,' he said. What are some of the religious freedom concerns facing the church? Formed in 1863 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church prioritizes protecting religious freedom for all. 'The biggest challenge for us now is freedom of expression. … We'd like to be protected in our right to express what we believe,' Köhler said. 'The society today, and sometimes the media, is supporting too much one side of some topics, and the religious leaders, the religious organizations, they have no voice to express what they think in a kind way, in a respectful way.' Köhler attributes this partly to some Christian denominations that are 'being very strong and aggressive in some matters.' Adventists, he said, must continue to fight to protect the right to express their opinions and beliefs in a positive way. What is his message to those unfamiliar with the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 'Sometimes people present our denomination based on some elements that are strange for others, and they think that we're people from another planet,' Köhler said. 'We're human beings. We're here to serve, we're here to love, we're here to make a difference.' He invites people to come meet members and experience the church themselves. 'Come to talk with us, come to visit us, interact with us,' he said. 'They'll know who we are, and they can see how we can make a difference in a positive way for their present life and for their future life.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Newly-elected Seventh-day Adventist Church leader reflects on challenges and faith's healthy living
Erton Köhler, a Brazil-born pastor known for his innovative approach to evangelism, is the newly elected president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference — and the first to hail from South America. Köhler will serve as the spiritual and administrative leader for the global movement, which claims 23 million members in more than 200 countries. He was voted into the position during a recent gathering of the General Conference, the denomination's top governing body, in St. Louis. The church's sprawling geographic reach poses just one of the hurdles ahead in his duties as president, especially with today's political polarization and national allegiances, Köhler said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'If I can choose one word that represents the challenge of this moment, the word is 'unity,'' he said. 'It's not easy to keep that unity because our members, they're citizens, they're living in the local society, they're influenced by that.' The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant denomination that views the Bible as the literal word of God and the primary authority for Adventists. They are known for their beliefs that Christ's second coming is near, and that the Bible requires observing the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Just days into his new role, Köhler shared his hopes for the future, including his plans to use technology and social media to reach young people. He also reflected on how the faith's spiritual focus on healthy living resonates with many today and other issues facing the church. What is the role of the president? Köhler explained his job like holding a puzzle together and compared it to that of another recently elected church leader with South American ties, Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church's first U.S.-born pontiff who has dual Peruvian citizenship. 'I'm not the pope of the church. I'm a pastor. We don't have a leadership that's vertical, that we can decide something and impose that for everyone,' Köhler said, noting the denomination's various levels of authority. 'We respect those voices. We receive suggestions from other levels, we discuss it; we discuss how to implement it together. My role is to try to keep all this puzzle together in a positive way.' What are his priorities as the new leader? Köhler wants to see more young people involved in the church, more women involved in leadership and more investment in communication and technology to advance its mission. He also wants to focus on continuing to spread the reach of the church, which is especially growing in parts of Africa and Latin America. 'No. 1, I'd like to see more young people involved in the church activities, sometimes in leadership, sometimes sharing their opinions, their ideas, sometimes in the local community,' said Köhler. In addition to the church's emphasis on the Sabbath, Köhler also thinks Adventists' long-standing focus on healthy living can appeal to younger generations. Many church members are vegetarians and abstain from alcohol and tobacco as part of their spiritual discipline. Adventists also run a large network of hospitals and health clinics worldwide, and many church members go into the medical field. 'The new generation is looking for health, beauty. They're taking care of their bodies,' Köhler said. 'We have a message to show to them that we're not only an institutionalized religion, we're a body of believers that trust in the Bible with a message that can make our lives better.' For women in leadership, Köhler said he's not opening discussion of women's ordination, an issue that in 2015 then-Republican presidential candidate and Adventist Ben Carson said he supported. 'It's not the moment to do that,' Köhler said. But he acknowledged that Adventist women 'deserve more presence in leadership,' and 'their voice needs to be heard.' The faith was influenced by the visions of Ellen White, who is considered a prophet. Her extensive religious writings, while deeply influential in shaping the church, are not given the same weight as Scripture. Today, the denomination says women's leadership is present at high levels of the church — in health care, education and administration — and also includes community service and the leadership of women's ministries. On technology and communication, Köhler said he is a strong defender of both because he sees them as ways to reach people wherever they are. 'If our call is to ministry to the people, we need to be where they are, especially the new generations. And the new generation now are in social media,' he said. What are some of the religious freedom concerns facing the church? Formed in 1863 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church prioritizes protecting religious freedom for all. 'The biggest challenge for us now is freedom of expression. … We'd like to be protected in our right to express what we believe,' Köhler said. 'The society today, and sometimes the media, is supporting too much one side of some topics, and the religious leaders, the religious organizations, they have no voice to express what they think in a kind way, in a respectful way.' Köhler attributes this partly to some Christian denominations that are 'being very strong and aggressive in some matters.' Adventists, he said, must continue to fight to protect the right to express their opinions and beliefs in a positive way. What is his message to those unfamiliar with the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 'Sometimes people present our denomination based on some elements that are strange for others, and they think that we're people from another planet,' Köhler said. 'We're human beings. We're here to serve, we're here to love, we're here to make a difference." He invites people to come meet members and experience the church themselves. 'Come to talk with us, come to visit us, interact with us,' he said. "They'll know who we are, and they can see how we can make a difference in a positive way for their present life and for their future life.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jimmy Swaggart was a hypocrite. But that's not the worst part.
Jimmy Swaggart, the prolific evangelist who died Tuesday at age 90, will be remembered in part for his tearful, snotty apology to his congregation in 1988 after he was linked to a prostitute. But Swaggart will be remembered not just for being an American evangelical leader who suffered a spectacular fall from grace. He will also be remembered for his fire and brimstone condemnations of LGBTQ people and people of other faith traditions that, in the 1970s and '80s, helped give rise to the religious right. A prototype for the hard-line religious leaders that influence today's Republican Party spouting hatred in the guise of Christian piety, Swaggart was one of the pastors that President Ronald Reagan aligned himself with. That offended many of the people Swaggart had defamed, including Catholics. He didn't consider Catholicism to be Christianity and in 1986 he wrote a book saying as much. His supporters might consider Swaggart's legacy to include his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the worldwide television, print ministry and Bible college he created. But in my opinion, his most significant, and most troublesome, legacy includes end times conspiracies and the disdain he expressed in his Pentecostal fundamentalist preaching for Catholics, Jews and LGBTQ people. Consider the album he released, called 'What shall the end be: Is there really a curse on the Kennedy family?' Swaggart's mix of old-time gospel, his interpretations of biblical prophecy and his evangelistic crusades spread a particular kind of fundamentalist Pentecostalism that endures today. Born in 1934 and ordained in 1961 by the Assemblies of God, Swaggart became a prolific preacher and evangelist with a bombastic preaching persona, amassing a worldwide following through his television ministry and his evangelistic appearances. He was a catalyst for the growth of Pentecostalism in Latin America as well as Africa. At its peak, his ministry amassed over $100 million per year. It would all crumble, in part because of Swaggart's hypocrisy. After Swaggart publicly called out other evangelical leaders he accused of grievous sin, a pastor who said Swaggart falsely accused him provided photographic evidence of Swaggart with a prostitute. 'I have sinned against you,' Swaggart said in a tearful apology as he confessed to his congregation. 'I beg you to forgive me.' That scandal was the beginning of a diminished ministry for Swaggart. The Assemblies of God ordered him to refrain from preaching for a year and to spend two years in rehabilitation. Swaggart, fearful of losing his ministry, came back to the pulpit sooner, and his denomination defrocked him. Also, he had to pay to settle with the pastor who said Swaggart falsely accused him. On top of that, in 1991, police in California pulled him over for traffic violations, and the woman in the car with him later identified herself as a prostitute he had picked up for sex . Though Swaggart managed to hold onto his church, ministry and Bible school, by turning them over to his son Donnie Swaggart, he would never again reach the heights he did prior to his fall from prominence. Even though his own ministry deteriorated, it helped lay the foundation for the rise of prosperity gospel, megachurch ministries and the proliferation of religious broadcasting. His bombastic language and condemnation of others would diminish in influence as other ministries captured the spotlight in televangelism, but he will be remembered for that moment in time, when his face filled the television asking his congregation and God for forgiveness. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Swaggart was 'our longest serving televangelist.' He may also have been the longest serving hypocrite, who seemed to have no problem trying to destroy other ministers' lives as he was apparently living a double life himself. While the memory of his scandal may have faded, his preaching and evangelical crusades had a primary role in helping shape the sharp divisive religious environment that exists in America today. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court to consider reviving lawsuit restricting evangelizing in small Mississippi town
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Thursday it will consider whether to revive a lawsuit from a man barred from evangelizing outside a small-town Mississippi amphitheater after authorities say he shouted insults at people over a loudspeaker. Gabriel Olivier, an evangelical Christian, says restricting him from public property violated his religious and free speech rights, but a legal Catch-22 has barred him from challenging the law in court. Lower courts found he couldn't file a civil-rights lawsuit because he'd been arrested, and instead needed to file under habeas corpus, a legal remedy open to prisoners. But because he was ticketed rather than imprisoned, his lawyers say that option wasn't open either, effectively denying him a day in court. The city of Brandon, Mississippi, on the other hand, says the restrictions aren't about religious speech, but rather about limiting disturbances caused when he and his group yelled insults like 'Jezebel,' 'nasty,' and 'drunkards" at people passing by. The ordinance restricts demonstrations near the amphitheater but does allow him to preach from a designated 'protest zone," and has already survived another lawsuit, the city said. The city says the case is about Olivier and his group's 'desire to have their preferred method of protest, without regard for the rights or interests of anyone else.' Olivier's attorneys say he was engaging in respectful and protected speech at the time of his arrest, and the case centers on a key legal issue affecting free speech across the political spectrum. 'Every American has First Amendment rights to free speech; and every American has a right to their day in court,' said Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO for First Liberty Institute, which is representing him along with attorney Allyson Ho of the firm Gibson Dunn. 'Both of these rights were violated for Gabe Olivier. The Supreme Court will now decide whether those rights will be protected for all Americans.' The court is expected to hear arguments in the fall.
